Toy cannon



so. emga. 1 Patented kur. 18, |633.

A. G. JACOBS.

T 0 Y C A N N 0 N L (Application led July 27, 1898.)

(No Model.)

. WTNESSES /NI/ENTOR Nrrnn STATES ATENT einen.

TOY CANNON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 623,159, dated'April 18, 1899.

Application filed .l'nly27,1898. Serial No. 687,033. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, AU GUsrUs G. JACOBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jonestown, in the county of Coahoma and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvem en ts in Toy Cannon, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to toy guns or cannon.

The object of the invention is to produce a toy gun in which tire-crackers may be used, in part as firing charges and in part as projectiles, and to adapt such guns for use in miniature bombardments.

Figure l is a longitudinal central section of gun with fire-cracker inclosed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gun, and Fig. 3a perspective of breech-block. Fig. et is a cross-section of gun through the support, and Fig. 5 a plan of deck of toy boat with gun mounted thereon. Fig. Gis a section of a modification of the breech-block.

The gun barrel or tube A is simply a section of tubing of sufiicient strength, steel or brass preferred. The muzzle may have an ornamental bead B, or the same may be omitted, as in Fig.

The tube A is tightly inclos'ed in a sleeve O, which sleeve is of sheet metal, surrounding the tube and extending at the sides thereof. The sleeve O is preferably soldered or brazed to tube A, but may be attached in other convenient manner. The wings D, forming the ends of the sheet of metal of which the sleeve is composed, are parallel with each other and ahole goes through these wings.

A standard E, having preferably a cylindrical body and a flathead, has its head between the wings D D, and a screw or pin F passes through the wings and the head of the standard. As the wings D are somewhat elastic, the screw F, if a screw is used, may be used to bind the wings tightly to the head of standard E, nut G affording a means for clamping the wings. The standard E may be driven into the groundv or set in a socket in the deck of a toy boat or other suitable support, and the gun may be turned laterally by turning the standard in the ground or in its socket, and may be elevated by changing the angle of standard E relatively to the wings D. (See dotted lines, Fig. 2.)

In case the gun is planted in the ground the standard E can be clamped and its sharpened or lower end pressed into the ground at an angle to secure the desired elevation or depression of the muzzle of the gun.

To the sleeve C, by preference, a hook H is firmly secured by solder, rivets, or otherwise, said hook extending back toward the breech of the gun and serving to hold the breech-block to the gun. The hook can be more conveniently attached to the sleeve than to the gun-barrel, and when so attached and the removable breech is in place and held by the hook the barrel,breech,sleeve, and breechpiece are held firmly together.

The breech-block I is a short tube, large enough to inclose the rear end of the gunbarrel A and having one end closed, except fora small aperture large enough to pass the fuse or string of a {ire-cracker. Fig. 6 Shows a inodiiication in which the rear end ot' the breech-block I is in form of a funnel to enable the lire-cracker fuse to be threaded readily through the hole in the breechblock when the breech-block is voff the gun. The fire-cracker and breech-block may afterward be applied to the gun and the breechblock locked in place.

Near the front of the breech block or tube I there is a bead K, extending part Way around the outside of said tube, but leaving a break or gap wide enough for the passage of hook H. It is not essential that this bead K should extend nearly around the tube forming the breech-block; but it is more convenient to have it extend far enoughv to leave only a passage through which hook H will pass readily, so that the breech may be locked by turning the block slightly in either direction. The locking-catches might be duplicated; but in toy-guns this is hardly necessary.

The breech-block I closes over the rear end of tube A, the hook H being alined with and passing through the gap in bead K until said bead is in front of the hook, when a partial rotation of the breech-block carries bead K in front of hook H, and thus prevents a rearward movement 0i' the breech-block until it has been turned. This is substantially a IOC bayonet catch or lock to secure the breechblock to the gun; but as the hook is external the tubular part of the breech-block I is not weakened by cutting away, and so serves as a reinforcement to the tube A. The sleeve C also reinforces tube A forward ot' the breechblock. The hole in the rear of the breechblock is partially closed bythe fuse of a firecracker.

In using the toy gun it is loaded by inserting a 'lire-cracker which has first been cut in two, preferably near the fuse end. 'The larger part O of the tire-cracker is placed in the barrel of the gun and The smaller part P in the breech-block, willi the fuse R extending through the hole in the rear end of the breech-block. The barrel is then closed and the parts are generally arranged as inA Fig. I. 'lhe tube A should inclose the tire-cracker with an easy lit. \Vhen fuse R is ignited, the part P will soon be fired, and this serves as a tiring charge to propel the part O as a projectile. The part O will also be ignited, but will burn as a squib or rocket, the burning powder serving to give additional propulsive effect to that of charge in part P. These fire-.cracker projectiles may be used in the bombardment ot" toy boats or forts and considerable accuracy may be acquired in firing them from a toy gun or cannon such as I have indicated.

Of course the standard E may be as long as desirable, and as the toy gun or cannon can b e aimed with some precision when supported on such a standard the toy becomes one which is attractive for children and which is reasonably safe when properly used. The irecrackers are less likely to do damage when cut into pieces before lFiring than when iired uncut.

The standard E forms a swivel on which the gun may be swung to various positions behind a shield S, as indicated in Fig. 5.

What I claim isl. A toy cannon having a tubular barrel, a sleeve surrounding said barrel and having projecting wings at one side, and a standard pivotally connected to the wings of said sleeve and serving as a support whereon the gun may be trained, substantially as described.

2. A toy cannon having a tubular barrel, a sleeve surrounding said barrel and having wings projecting to one side thereof, a standard pivotally connected to said wings, and serving as a support whereon the gun may be trained, and means for clamping the standard tothe sleeve in adjusted position, all ccmbined substantially as described.

3. In a toy cannon, the tubular barrel, a sleeve surrounding the saine and iirmly connected to the supporting-standard a hook extending rearwardly from said sleeve, and the centrally-perforated breech-block having a bead partly surrounding it, with which bead the said hook may engage, all combined substantially as described.

4. In a toy cannon the tubular barrel, the removable tubular breech-block having a central open perforation through which the fuse of a fire-cracker may pass, and means for locking said breech-block to the barrel, all

y combined substantially as described.

5. In a toy cannon, the tubular barrel, the removable tubular breech-block having a small central orifice at its rear, and a funnelshaped interior surface leading to such oritice, and means for locking said breech-block to the barrel, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS G. JACOBS.

Vitnesses:

N. L. DIcKsoN, II. C. McALisTER. 

